How prepared were you for your first clinical?

[D.R.A.]

New student nurse here. Just finished week one of class. I'm feeling intimdated about clinicals, which start in 3 weeks, b/c I just took NAA 100 last semester, and don't feel like I learned how to perform any skills. Alot of the people in my class have worked as a CNA already. I'm gonna spend the next 3 weeks practicing skills, but, geez, one of them has 42 steps!!!!

So how prepared were you? Is there anything that you did ALOT that you recommend I really focus on? Any insight and/or advice appreciated.

[dannyc12]

If you haven't worked as a CNA, tell your instructor this and take whatever advice he or she can give you to heart. They are going to know your clinical site and patients a lot better than anyone on this board will.

Good luck.

[itsmejuli]

I had no medical background at all when I started clinicals.

We did our first clinicals in an LTC where we did only patient care and vitals. I was very nervous so I partnered with another student who was a CNA. I also worked closely with the CNAs at the LTC so I could learn what to do.

[D.R.A.]

If you haven't worked as a CNA, tell your instructor this and take whatever advice he or she can give you to heart. They are going to know your clinical site and patients a lot better than anyone on this board will.

Good luck.

That's a good piece of advice. I am gonna e-mail my instructors right now to get their word on that. Thnx!!

[D.R.A.]

I had no medical background at all when I started clinicals.

We did our first clinicals in an LTC where we did only patient care and vitals. I was very nervous so I partnered with another student who was a CNA. I also worked closely with the CNAs at the LTC so I could learn what to do.

That's what my sister recommended as well. She said that is what she did during her NAA class. She paired with people who were working as CNA's already. That way, she had the opportunity to watch them. I'm not sure if we will have the opportunity to choose partners or not though.....

[shannahan]

Not much at all! Spent a lot of time giving bed baths and changing linens. Trying to keep busy though we were so limited in what we could do. And it didn't help that our clinical instructor was hiding out so even what we could do, she wasn't readily available to observe. But the more skills we learned at school, the more we were able to do at clinical and it all got so much better and more comfortable. One thing I've learned about nursing school - you cann't prepare 100% for the experiences you will encounter. You have to get out there, be uncomfortable, and gain experience.

[Cherry2000]

Just remember that you are at clinicals to learn. Be ready, willing and able to do anything that comes your way. Really they want to you learn "their way" of doing things and they will show you what you need to know. In the beginning you are focusing on all of the personal care aspects. Changing beds, taking vitals, baths, cleaning incontinent patients. Become comfortable with getting into people's personal space and learn how to communicate with them. Act confident no matter how you are truly feeling because if you act nervous you will make your patient nervous too. You will be fine!

[D.R.A.]

I suppose what i'm most uncomfortable about is that they expect us to already know these CNA skills. Taking the class didn't make me know anything, lol. Many of the students have worked as or are working as CNA's already and I hate being one of the ones who hasn't/isn't.......BUT I must admit, I'm pretty darn confident in my ability to do anything that is required and to learn quickly so I'm just gonna have to keep telling myself that and try not to compare myself to anyone else.

[Essie Marie]

Most of the people in my first clinical group felt unprepared, including myself. They kind of just throw you in there. The purpose of the first clinical is practice the skills you have learned in school. Remember to never do a skill that you haven't learned in school first and that has been "okayed" by your instructor (they usually want to do the skill with you first to see that you do it properly). Our first clinical, we practiced communication, vitals, head-to-toe assessments, charting, bed baths, changing bed linens (with/without Pt in bed), feeding Pts. I personally found it overwhelming and didn't like the experience; however, I felt comforted knowing that everyone else felt just as overwhelmed, and that I knew I didn't want to work in a medical unit when I graduate. For the first year, it feels as though all you do is vitals, bed baths, and "code browns" -- it will get better once you have learned the basics. From there, your clinicals should include more of the specialties (surgical, maternity, peds, psyc, community, etc.) and those (the ones that I've done so far) I have enjoyed. Keep in mind that your clinical instructor knows that you are all brand new nursing students, and remember that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. :-)

[letsseehere]

Which skill has 42 steps??

[D.R.A.]

Regarding the skill with 42 steps....it was a mistake, lol!! They had taken the last half of the bed bath and put it with the assist dress/undress. I kept thinking, "Boy, we didin't learn it like this in CNA class," and "why would I completely dress my patient down to shoes, and then start by washing their feet and moving on?" After a few minutes of thinking I realized what had happend (0: